The owner of a West Auckland doggy daycare business has been banned from running a similar business for five years after a pet dog was found dead with puncture marks to its throat.
Trudi Hewett was prosecuted in the Waitakere District Court by the SPCA after a dog in her care died of its injuries.
In May 2017 the SPCA opened a case against Hewett, owner of Valley Dog Daycare in West Auckland, after owners of a Huntaway Doberman cross named Wilson found it dead when they went to pick him up.
According to a vet's report, the dog was found lying in a pond covered with puncture marks and bruising to the throat.
The defendant had reportedly not seen the dog on the property for five hours.
Records show other dogs were injured while under care of the doggy day care, and Hewett had previously rejected dogs from the facility for showing signs of aggression.However, on the day Wilson died, two dogs previously banned from another dog care facility were present at Valley Dog Daycare.
The SPCA questioned the quality of the defendant’s supervision, noting there were occasions she may not have been present on the property or regularly counting the dogs in her care.
Hewett was found guilty of ill-treating an animal under the Animal Welfare Act.
She was ordered to pay the SPCA $506 as well as $282 in solicitor’s costs and was sentenced to 40 hours community service.
She was also banned from running any animal care business for five years.
According to the SPCA the defendant closed the daycare after Wilson's death and says she would never look after dogs again.
“Our thoughts are with Wilson’s owners, who lost their beloved family member in a truly awful way. They trusted this facility to care for Wilson and he should have been safe and well looked after there,” says Andrea Midgen, SPCA chief executive.
“Doggy day cares are an unregulated industry in New Zealand, but operators must still comply with the Animal Welfare Act 1999. If animals are in your care, it is your responsibility to ensure all their needs are met. As a doggy day care facility, owners expect you to ensure their dogs are safe, happy and healthy and you must take this responsibility seriously.”
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